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Astro-logical Forecast for Tuesday 1/5/2016: Mercury Retrograde; A Hot Mess

Lots of action in the cosmos, as outlined in detail in yesterday’s forecast. Refer to that for the specifics.

It occurred to me yesterday morning that an apt term for the potential of this week would be “a hot mess,” especially when I found this explanation of its origin and evolution. My spies are reporting having experiences that are truly sublime and empowering, as well as utterly bewildering. Both kinds of experiences in the same time period. High highs. Low lows. It is fascinating.

How was your day yesterday? Wall Street was messy, as expected. Market volatility has manifested consistently whenever a planet — this week it is the Sun — has made challenging contact with Uranus and Pluto. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg announced his New Year’s resolution on Facebook. His personal goal for 2016 is to develop a robot that will serve as butler for his home. He plans to do the coding himself. A modest goal after learning Mandarin in 2010. How many creative messes will he make before he gets it right? What are your goals for 2016?

I was delighted to find that the term “hot mess” originally referred to food, having seen a number of notable stories about food in the headlines over the past two days. Like this one, for example, about how a few creative types are finding ways to grow vegetables in Alaska…or how “consumers will no longer know where their beef and pork were born and raised,” now that a labeling law has been repealed. Oh the joys of “mystery meat”…and while we’re at it, here are the secrets shared by successful food photographers.  Happy nebulous Neptune square Venus, whose need for artistic expression contributed to an empowering, record-breaking week on Broadway.

Creativity is by nature a messy process;  science has apparently proven that messy people are more creative. The fits and starts of the two planets turning retrograde — Mercury (today at 8:06AM ET) and Jupiter (on Thursday) add to the potential for false starts and serendipitous gaffes. The gaffe potential increases after 12:47PM ET, when the intensely emotional Scorpio Moon goes void, i.e., drifts without any particular direction, until 1:56AM ET. Roll with the twists and flakes, and be patient with the communication and technology snafus.

About Mercury retrograde…

So many people who know nothing else about astrology have heard of Mercury retrograde.  Often it elicits curses and groans, and that’s a shame. Yes, on the first day of the last Mercury retrograde (back in September), all of the flights on American Airlines were grounded because of a computer glitch. And the entire country of Finland was offline because of a transportation strike. But there’s much good that can be accomplished when the Messenger Planet appears to be retracing its steps.

This month, Mercury—which in the language of astrology refers to mindset, travel and communication—will appear to move backward through the sky until January 25th. It’s not really moving backward, but that is how it looks from our perspective here on Spaceship Earth. Mercury goes retrograde 3-4 times each year, for a period of 22 days.

Contrary to popular belief, Mercury retrogrades are no reason to freak out. Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap because we are geared, in this crazy modern age, to always be thinking, doing, moving FORWARD. You know what that gets you? BURN OUT. We need our down times, and Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to give our minds a rest. Why else would your computer, phone and/or car choose THIS time to malfunction? Because you are supposed to be slowing down. And as you slow down, it is vitally important that you FOCUS.

When Mercury is retrograde, be prepared for travel delays, scheduling screw-ups, mechanical breakdowns, computer crashes, having to repeat what you’ve just said, misunderstandings, the past coming back for a second look, surprise reunions and having to repeat what you just said. Use your FOCUS and double check important details, like whether the restaurant you’ve chosen for a meet-up is still in business. Or whether it is booked for a commercial shoot or a private party — all of these have happened to me during Mercury retrogrades!

If you are looking for a job, Mercury retrogrades are a perfect time to reach out to people from your past. Mine your address book and trust that your contacts will be happy to hear from you. However, do not be frustrated if your target is away on vacation or keeps rescheduling meetings. Also, triple check your emails and resumes before you hit “send,” as there is a higher probability of typos and other sloppy snafus.

In your business, you’ll need to make sure all communications have been received and are clearly understood. Be mindful of the higher potential for communications equipment to go on the fritz. MAKE SURE YOUR FILES ARE BACKED UP. Also be aware of a higher than average probability for delays in shipping and travel arrangements. For this you will need an extra dose of patience.

You may also find it profitable to REview a project from the past. Maybe you shelved it then, but now is the time to REconsider. However, be advised that a spontaneously, “out-of-the-blue” idea for advancement may not be so sound when Mercury turns direct. This is why the conventional wisdom advises against finalizing and/or signing contracts on deals during Mercury retrograde. An exception might be supported if you are REnegotiating or RElocating. If you absolutely must close a deal, triple check everything.

This is a good time to schedule a corporate REtreat. Any activity that affords the opportunity to REview past performance is encouraged. REsearch on a new strategy is also favored.

Mercury retrogrades are not favored for launching a new website or a new communications systems. There is a higher than average probability of technical glitches and confusion. I can tell you horror stories about a certain prestigious college’s lackluster launch of a website/communications portal which occurred last year, on a day when Mercury was stationary retrograde…

Adopt a playful attitude of flexibility to whatever twists you encounter. Avoid making major purchases (especially electronic ones). Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the papers. Rumors have a higher probability of spreading during Mercury retrogrades. Avoid losing patience — that’s a big one.

When in doubt, be silent!

Do plan on RElaxing, REviewing, REsearching, REorganizing, REgenerating, REconnecting and REcreating…and REviewing your life with your astrologer. If you were born on the first day of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus or Scorpio — or if you have significant planets and/or angles at 0 degrees of Aquarius, you are more personally affected by this particular Mercury retrograde than most. As noted yesterday, President Obama is in this category.

Gratitude to Avid Reader Beth Owlsdaughter, who created this fitting Banana Mercury mash-up, which I have gleefully adopted. Check out Beth’s Tarot Card pull for 2016 here , as well as her Tarot Card for the Week here. It’s just amazing how in synch her card pulls are with planetary patterns.

banana mercury

Thank you for reading this forecast.